diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 4182eaa74..372dfff96 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 [workspace]
-members = ["copper", "copper_derive", "copper_derive_test", "examples/pluginload", "examples/v4lsrc"]
+members = ["copper", "copper_derive", "copper_derive_test", "examples/pluginload", "examples/simplelogger", "examples/v4lsrc"]
 resolver = "2"
diff --git a/copper/src/config.rs b/copper/src/config.rs
index 94bfa534e..03620d0c5 100644
--- a/copper/src/config.rs
+++ b/copper/src/config.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
-use petgraph::dot::Dot;
+use std::collections::HashMap;
+
 use petgraph::dot::Config as PetConfig;
+use petgraph::dot::Dot;
 use petgraph::stable_graph::StableDiGraph;
-use serde::{Serialize, Deserialize};
-use uom::si::rational::Time;
-use uom::si::time::nanosecond;
-use ron::Options;
 use ron::extensions::Extensions;
-use std::collections::HashMap;
+use ron::Options;
 use ron::value::Value as RonValue;
-
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use uom::si::rational::Time;
+use uom::si::time::nanosecond;
 
 pub type ConfigNodeId = u32;
 pub type NodeConfig = HashMap<String, Value>;
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ impl From<Value> for String {
     }
 }
 
-
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub struct ConfigNode {
     instance_name: String,
@@ -80,7 +79,7 @@ pub struct ConfigNode {
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     base_period_ns: Option<isize>,
     #[serde(skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
-    instance_config:Option<NodeConfig>, 
+    instance_config: Option<NodeConfig>,
 }
 
 impl ConfigNode {
@@ -101,7 +100,8 @@ impl ConfigNode {
 
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     pub fn base_period(&self) -> Option<Time> {
-        self.base_period_ns.map(|frequency| Time::new::<nanosecond>(frequency.into()))
+        self.base_period_ns
+            .map(|frequency| Time::new::<nanosecond>(frequency.into()))
     }
 
     pub fn set_base_period(mut self, period: Time) -> Self {
@@ -121,12 +121,13 @@ impl ConfigNode {
         if self.instance_config.is_none() {
             self.instance_config = Some(HashMap::new());
         }
-        self.instance_config.as_mut().unwrap().insert(key.to_string(), value.into());
+        self.instance_config
+            .as_mut()
+            .unwrap()
+            .insert(key.to_string(), value.into());
     }
-
 }
 
-
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, Debug)]
 pub struct CopperConfig {
     pub graph: StableDiGraph<ConfigNode, String, ConfigNodeId>,
@@ -147,7 +148,8 @@ impl CopperConfig {
     }
 
     pub fn connect(&mut self, source: ConfigNodeId, target: ConfigNodeId, msg_type: &str) {
-        self.graph.add_edge(source.into(), target.into(), msg_type.to_string());
+        self.graph
+            .add_edge(source.into(), target.into(), msg_type.to_string());
     }
 
     pub fn get_options() -> Options {
@@ -164,7 +166,9 @@ impl CopperConfig {
     }
 
     pub fn deserialize(ron: &str) -> Self {
-        Self::get_options().from_str(ron).expect("Syntax Error in config")
+        Self::get_options()
+            .from_str(ron)
+            .expect("Syntax Error in config")
     }
 
     pub fn render(&self, output: &mut dyn std::io::Write) {
@@ -176,9 +180,10 @@ impl CopperConfig {
 // tests
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::*;
-    use uom::si::time::second;
     use uom::si::time::millisecond;
+    use uom::si::time::second;
+
+    use super::*;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_base_period() {
@@ -189,10 +194,15 @@ mod tests {
             base_period_ns: Some(1_000_000_000),
         };
         assert_eq!(node.base_period(), Some(Time::new::<second>(1.into())));
-        
-        let node = ConfigNode::new("test2", "package::Plugin").set_base_period(Time::new::<millisecond>(500.into()));
+
+        let node =
+            ConfigNode::new("test2", "package::Plugin")
+                .set_base_period(Time::new::<millisecond>(500.into()));
         assert_eq!(node.base_period_ns, Some(500_000_000));
-        assert_eq!(node.base_period(), Some(Time::new::<nanosecond>(500_000_000.into())));
+        assert_eq!(
+            node.base_period(),
+            Some(Time::new::<nanosecond>(500_000_000.into()))
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -210,12 +220,20 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn test_serialize_with_params() {
         let mut config = CopperConfig::new();
-        let mut camera = ConfigNode::new("copper-camera", "camerapkg::Camera").set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(60.into()));
+        let mut camera = ConfigNode::new("copper-camera", "camerapkg::Camera")
+            .set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(60.into()));
         camera.set_param::<Value>("resolution-height", 1080.into());
         config.add_node(camera);
         let serialized = config.serialize();
         println!("{}", serialized);
         let deserialized = CopperConfig::deserialize(&serialized);
-        assert_eq!(deserialized.get_node(0).unwrap().get_param::<i32>("resolution-height").unwrap(), 1080);
+        assert_eq!(
+            deserialized
+                .get_node(0)
+                .unwrap()
+                .get_param::<i32>("resolution-height")
+                .unwrap(),
+            1080
+        );
     }
 }
diff --git a/copper_derive_test/build.rs b/copper_derive_test/build.rs
index 00c498ed9..eca903b6f 100644
--- a/copper_derive_test/build.rs
+++ b/copper_derive_test/build.rs
@@ -1,22 +1,26 @@
 use std::env;
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::PathBuf;
-use copper::config::CopperConfig;
-use copper::config::ConfigNode;
-use copper::config::Value;
+
 use uom::si::time::second;
 use uom::si::time::Time;
 
-fn main() {
+use copper::config::ConfigNode;
+use copper::config::CopperConfig;
+use copper::config::Value;
 
+fn main() {
     // Generate a config
     let mut copperconfig = CopperConfig::new();
-    let mut camera = ConfigNode::new("copper-camera", "camerapkg::Camera").set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(60.into()));
+    let mut camera =
+        ConfigNode::new("camera", "camerapkg::Camera")
+            .set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(60.into()));
     camera.set_param::<Value>("resolution-height", 1080.into());
-    // camera.set_param::<Value>("resolution-width", 1920.into());
-    let mut isp = ConfigNode::new("copper-isp", "isppkg::Isp").set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(1.into()));
+    let mut isp =
+        ConfigNode::new("copper-isp", "isppkg::Isp").set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(1.into()));
     // isp.set_param::<Value>("tone", 1.3.into());
-    let algo = ConfigNode::new("copper-algo", "algopkg::Algo").set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(5.into()));
+    let algo = ConfigNode::new("copper-algo", "algopkg::Algo")
+        .set_base_period(Time::new::<second>(5.into()));
     let n1 = copperconfig.add_node(isp);
     let n2 = copperconfig.add_node(camera);
     let n3 = copperconfig.add_node(algo);
diff --git a/examples/pluginload/Cargo.toml b/examples/pluginload/Cargo.toml
index 3414d52ae..0d0bc92c4 100644
--- a/examples/pluginload/Cargo.toml
+++ b/examples/pluginload/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ edition = "2021"
 [dependencies]
 uom = { version = "0.36.0", features = ["rational"] }
 copper = { path = "../../copper" }
-camreader = { path = "../v4lsrc" }
+v4lsrc = { path = "../v4lsrc" }
 
 [build-dependencies]
 cargo_metadata = "0.18.1"
diff --git a/examples/simplelogger/Cargo.toml b/examples/simplelogger/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ec3ffec94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/simplelogger/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[package]
+name = "simplelogger"
+version = "0.1.0"
+edition = "2021"
+
+[dependencies]
+copper = { path = "../../copper" }
+v4lsrc = { path = "../v4lsrc" }
+serde = { version = "1.0.202", features = ["derive"] }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/simplelogger/src/lib.rs b/examples/simplelogger/src/lib.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..514a4d082
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/simplelogger/src/lib.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+use std::fs::File;
+use std::io::Write;
+
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+
+use copper::config::NodeConfig;
+use copper::cutask::{CuResult, CuSinkTask};
+use v4lsrc::ImageMsg;
+
+struct SimpleLogger {
+    path: String,
+    log_file: Option<File>,
+}
+
+impl CuSinkTask for SimpleLogger {
+    type Input = ImageMsg;
+
+    fn new(config: NodeConfig) -> CuResult<Self>
+    where
+        Self: Sized,
+    {
+        let path = (*config.get("path").unwrap()).clone().into();
+        Ok(SimpleLogger {
+            path,
+            log_file: None,
+        })
+    }
+
+    fn start(&mut self) -> CuResult<()> {
+        let log_file = File::create(&self.path).unwrap();
+        self.log_file = Some(log_file);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn stop(&mut self) -> CuResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    fn process(&mut self, input: &Self::Input) -> CuResult<()> {
+        let log_file = self.log_file.as_mut().unwrap();
+        for line in input.buffer.iter() {
+            log_file.write_all(line).unwrap();
+        }
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    // ignore this test because it requires a camera to be connected to the computer
+    // it is still runnable if specifically called with `cargo test emulate_runtime`
+    #[ignore]
+    #[test]
+    fn emulate_runtime() -> CuResult<()> {
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/examples/v4lsrc/Cargo.toml b/examples/v4lsrc/Cargo.toml
index 1c7252192..713f15295 100644
--- a/examples/v4lsrc/Cargo.toml
+++ b/examples/v4lsrc/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [package]
-name = "camreader"
+name = "v4lsrc"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
 
diff --git a/examples/v4lsrc/src/lib.rs b/examples/v4lsrc/src/lib.rs
index 2e8618a61..6c227432a 100644
--- a/examples/v4lsrc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/examples/v4lsrc/src/lib.rs
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ use copper::cutask::{CuResult, CuSrcTask};
 use copper::serde::arrays;
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
-struct ImageMsg {
+pub struct ImageMsg {
     #[serde(with = "arrays")]
-    buffer: [[u8; 1920]; 1200],
+    pub buffer: [[u8; 1920]; 1200],
 }
 
 impl Default for ImageMsg {
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ impl CuSrcTask for Video4LinuxSource {
     where
         Self: Sized,
     {
-        let device = Device::open("/dev/video0").unwrap();
+        let dev: String = (*config.get("dev").unwrap()).clone().into();
+        let device = Device::open(dev).unwrap();
         Ok(Video4LinuxSource {
             device,
             stream: None,